Canada places an immense priority on reuniting family members through immigration. That is why the family class is consistently Canada’s second-largest group of immigrants. In the first half (Jan-July) of 2022, 51,745 immigrants came to this country through family-class programs.

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3.  Canada places an immense priority on reuniting
family members through immigration.That is
why the family class is consistently Canada’s
second-largest group of immigrants. In the first
half (Jan-July) of 2022, 51,745 immigrants came
to this country through family-class programs.
 From dependent children and spouses to
parents and grandparents, Canada takes great
pride in providing Canadian citizens and
permanent residents with programs to help
bring their loved ones to this country.

4.  One of these programs is called the Parents and
Grandparents Program (PGP).
 A program that uniquely only lasts several weeks
every year, the PGP provides Canadian citizens and
permanent residents with a way to help their parents
and grandparents receive permanent residence in this
country. Eventually, parents and grandparents who
become permanent residents through this program
may also be eligible for Canadian citizenship.
 Under this program, Canadians can sponsor either one
or both of their parents or grandparents, but they are
still required to list their other living
parent/grandparent on the application
to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Canada (IRCC).

5.  The PGP changes the number of applications
it takes every year. For context prior to
providing an explanation of the program,
IRCC accepted a maximum of 10,000
applications in 2020 but that number rose to
30,000 in 2021.
 This number could change once again when
the IRCC opens PGP applications for the 2022
year.

6.  Although this criteria may change for the
2022 program year, the 2021 eligibility
criteria for this program were as follows:
 A sponsor must be invited to apply
 A sponsor must be either a Canadian citizen,
permanent resident, or a registered Indian
under the Canadian IndianAct
 A sponsor cannot be a temporary resident
on a visa or permit nor have an ‘in progress’
permanent resident application

7.  Sponsors must be at least 18 years of age
 Sponsors must be residing in Canada (potential
applicants will need to provide proof of status during the
‘Interest to Sponsor’ phase) during the application
process and after the application decision
 The person or persons being sponsored must not, as
determined by the Canadian government, have a
medical condition that either poses a danger to public
health and safety or places excessive demand on
health/social services
 The sponsor must not be receiving social assistance from
IRCC (Employment Insurance and the Canada
Emergency Response Benefit do not qualify as social
assistance)

8.  A sponsor must meet all other requirements
under the Immigration and Refugee Protection
Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection
Regulations
 Exceed the minimum necessary income (MNI)
level for this program and provide proof of
income to IRCC (details below)
 Sign an undertaking (details below)
 Details regarding the MNI requirement for the
Parents and Grandparents program are as
follows:

9.  The MNI is a measure of the level of income in a household,
used to determine whether an applicant can support
themselves, their family unit, and those they wish to sponsor
(details on the definition of a family unit and the PGP-
specific MNI for Canadians outside of Quebec can be
found here
 If married or in a common-law relationship, the income of
both the sponsor and spouse can be included
 The sponsor on a PGP application (outside Quebec) must
exceed the MNI for the three consecutive taxation years
prior to the submission date of their application to be eligible
for this program

10.  Details regarding the undertaking process for
the Parents and Grandparents program are as
follows. By signing an undertaking, the
Canadian applicant (outside of Quebec) is
making a 20-year commitment to:
 Financially support, including for essential
needs, the sponsored person(s) (starting
when they become permanent residents)
 Repay any social assistance benefits paid to
the sponsored family members (if applicable)

11.  There are several reasons a potential PGP
sponsor may be deemed ineligible for this
program. Some of those reasons include if
the potential sponsor:
 Is in jail, prison, or penitentiary
 Did not give the financial support they agreed
to when signing a sponsorship agreement to
sponsor a relative in the past
 Has declared bankruptcy and are not
discharged

12.  Has received social assistance for a reason other
than a disability
 Was convicted of a violent criminal offence, any
offence against a relative, or any sexual offence
inside or outside Canada
 Cannot legally stay in Canada and must leave
the country because they received a Removal
Order
 Did not pay back: An immigration loan, a
performance bond and/or a court-ordered family
support payments such as alimony or child
support

13.  The following were the four application steps for this
program in 2021. Please note that this process may
change for the 2022 program year.
 Step 1: Ensure you have met the eligibility criteria
 If a sponsor wishes to do so, they may have their
common-law partner or spouse co-sign the PGP
application to help meet the minimum necessary
income criteria for eligibility.The co-signer must also
prove income for the three taxation years prior to the
application submission. Additionally, a PGP co-signer
will be subject to the same eligibility requirements as
the primary sponsor as well as the terms associated
with the signed undertaking.

14.  Step 2: Have completed an Interest to Sponsor form
on IRCC’s website
 Step 3: If a sponsor has submitted a past ‘Interest to
Sponsor’, they must ensure they update the
information entered in those forms
 Step 4:Wait for the IRCC to hold their annual PGP
lottery, after which sponsors will have 60 days to
submit completed sponsorship applications to IRCC if
selected
 IRCC lottery note: IRCC has found their lottery system
to be the fairest and most transparent selection
process for the PGP. It removes duplicate applications
and ensures true randomization.

15.  There are crucial differences in the PGP
process for Quebec when compared to the
rest of Canada.
 Below are differences in eligibility criteria and
application steps from 2021. Please note that
these criteria and steps may change again for
the 2022 program year.

16.  The Quebec government has its own set of immigration
sponsorship requirements that a Canadian sponsor living in
that province must meet beyond the criteria established by
IRCC. Details can be found on the Quebec government
website.
 Quebec also uses a different standard for MNI, although it is
still based on the size of a sponsor’s “family unit (MNI and
family unit details for Quebec can be found here.The
Government of Quebec will also assess the sponsor’s
income.

17.  Step 1: Ensure you have met the eligibility criteria
 Step 2: Have completed an Interest to Sponsor form
on IRCC’s website
 Step 3: If a sponsor has submitted a past ‘Interest to
Sponsor’, they must ensure they update the
information entered in those forms
 Step 4:Wait for the IRCC to hold their annual PGP
lottery, after which sponsors will have 60 days to
submit completed sponsorship applications to IRCC if
selected
 Step 5: Obtain a Quebec Selection Certificate (“CSQ”
in French) by applying to the Quebec government.
Once it is obtained, submit it to IRCC

18.  The IRCC notes that the average processing
time for a PGP application is between 20 and
24 months.
 Iimmigrating to Canada please call mef you
are looking for more information about.
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